Seven arrested under federal law aimed at fighting meth production

Friday

Mar 28, 2008 at 12:01 AMMar 28, 2008 at 12:44 AM

Each suspect was charged under a new federal law passed in 2006 that makes it a crime to purchase more than 9 grams of any product containing pseudoephedrine or ephedrine, which are used in cold and allergy medications, in any 30-day time period.

Rocco LaDuca

Seven people were arrested Thursday on federal charges of buying large amounts of a primary ingredient used to make the drug methamphetamine, according to officials with the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Although none of the people are charged at this point with making or distributing the drug, federal prosecutors hope these latest arrests highlight a proactive attack on people who may consider manufacturing methamphetamine.

“When they see things like this happen to them, I think they're more likely to think twice about making methamphetamine,” Assistant U.S. Attorney John Katko said Thursday during a news conference at the Alexander Pirnie Federal Building in Utica.

Each suspect was charged under a new federal law passed in 2006 that makes it a crime to purchase more than 9 grams of any product containing pseudoephedrine or ephedrine, which are used in cold and allergy medications, in any 30-day time period.

That means someone can now be charged before they ever begin making methamphetamine, the source of deadly epidemics and explosive home-made labs that have spread across the country in recent years, prosecutors said.

The investigation was conducted by the New York State Police Community Narcotics Enforcement Team, or CNET, and the federal Drug Enforcement Administration.

Police are investigating whether any of the individuals were actively involved in making and distributing methamphetamine, Katko said.

“There has been preliminary evidence they have been involved, but we don’t know for sure at this time,” Katko said.

The Combat Methamphetamine Epidemic Act of 2005 requires that anyone who purchases products containing ephedrine or pseudoephedrine must show identification and sign a log book at pharmacies or other retail businesses, Katko explained.

The DEA, along with state and local law enforcement agencies, is responsible for monitoring those log books in order to identify anyone who buys more than 9 grams within 30 days.

For individuals with prior felony drug convictions, the punishment ranges from 15 days to two years in jail or prison, as well as fines ranging from $2,500 to $250,000, Katko said.

Oneida County District Attorney Scott McNamara said the federal prosecution of cases like these will go a long way toward preventing methamphetamine production from rising to epidemic levels in the area.

“Anytime that we can catch people, whether they’re at the beginning stages of meth production or after the production, and hold them responsible, I think that’s fantastic,” McNamara said. “Unfortunately, we’ve seen what meth can do to communities, so I think the U.S. Attorney’s Office addressing it – as we’ve addressed it before, and we’ll continue to address it – will stop this drug epidemic from coming to our area.”